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10 Stylish Roofing Designs

When it comes to keeping your home nice and dry, you can pay all your thanks to your roof. Without this part of your house you certainly wouldn’t be able to enjoy a waterproof home, but there’s a lot more to be said for your roof other than this.

You can do a lot with your roof to ensure it really makes your house stand out from the crowd. Your roof can stop your home from simply blending into the background, as there are some stunning roofing designs available out there.

If you’re looking for inspiration, take a look at our top 10 stylish roofing projects:

1) Gable Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Chris Morgan on Geograph.

The traditional gable roof is one of the most commonly-seen roofs. It features two identical sloping sides that meet in the centre of the building. When looking at this roof from the end of the house, it should appear as a perfectly symmetrical triangle. This symmetry is one of the reasons why it’s so popular.

2) Cross Gabled Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of KDS444 on Wikipedia.

The cross-gabled roof is an example of just how versatile the traditional gable roof is. With this design you can insert two gables in alternating positions. This gives the building an interesting twist and can add to the aesthetics of the building, as windows can be inserted into the gables. The gables on a cross-gabled roof can be front-gabled (situated at the front of the property) or side-gabled (situated at the side).

3) Mansard Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Bill Bradley on Wikipedia.

This roof style is named after the French architect François Mansart, who revived the style. Mansard roofs had been used previously though, especially within French Renaissance architecture.

This design features steep sloping sections to the roof on all four sides, which then meet and form a ‘point’ at the top of the roof.

4) Hip Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Bill Bradley on Wikipedia.

The hip roof design is often seen on bungalows and cottages and is popular due to its simplistic design. Unlike gable roofs, it doesn’t need as much support and so can be cheaper to construct. On rectangular buildings, it consists of four gentle slopes on each side of the property.

5) Pyramid Hip Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of MesserWoland on Wikipedia.

The pyramid hip roof is a variant of the generic hip roof. This design is set on a square building and so has steeper sides, making it look similar to the shape of a pyramid.

6) Cross Hipped Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Bill Bradley on Wikipedia.

Cross hipped roofs have many benefits, most notably their resilience against hurricanes and strong winds, making them ideal for locations that often experience these weather types. A cross hpiped roof is similar to a cross gable roof, in that is has two intersecting ‘hips’ that split off from one another.

7) Saltbox Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Niagara on Wikipedia.

The saltbox roof is an unusual roof style, mostly appearing on older wooden framed houses. This style of roof calls for the building to have two storeys at the front of the house and just one at the back, due to the roof’s construction.

It has a gable-style roof to the on one side of the property and, at on the other, a long, sloping roof that reaches down to the first storey. The asymmetry of this style makes it very distinctive.

8) Gambrel Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Lars Lentz on Wikipedia.

This roof is very similar to the Mansard roof, but has some differences. Properties with Gambrel roofs have two shallow-angled slopes followed by two steep slopes that meet the main section of the building. However, unlike the Mansard roof, it has two flat gable ends.

9) Flat Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Koskim on Wikipedia.

The flat roof is one of the most efficient roof designs, as it means the most space can be used as possible within the top-most room within the house. Flat roofs can be found all over the world, including developed and undeveloped countries, and can be very aesthetically pleasing.

10) Bonnet Roof

Image was used by permission under the Creative Commons Licence courtesy of Answers.com.

Bonnet roofs are so called because they have sloping sides that can be used to provide cover for open-siding porches on the house. The style utilises many features of hipped roofs, having a traditional hip roof construction followed by four slopes on all sides of the house.

There are dozens of roof styles that you can choose between when having your roof remodelled or even built from scratch. Selecting the right one for your property can sometimes be difficult though, which is why you should always carefully think about the selection available.